Cosmetic container

ABSTRACT

A cosmetic container including a container body having an aperture, an inner container attached to an inner side of the container body such that a space in which a cosmetic can be stored is formed between the inner container and the container body, an inner plug attached to an inner side of the inner container to form a dual structure together with the inner container and to be rotatable within a prescribed range relative to the inner container, the inner plug capable of storing an applicator therein, and a lid body capable of sealing an aperture of the inner plug, wherein cosmetic through holes are provided in portions of main bodies of the inner container and the inner plug, and the cosmetic through holes are opened and closed by changing of relative positions of the cosmetic through holes as the inner plug rotates.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a cosmetic container, and moreparticularly, to a cosmetic container which prevents a cosmetic fromadhering to an applicator stored in the container when not in use, iseasy to control cosmetic application amount, and further preventsclogging of a mesh attached to a cosmetic through hole.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventionally, powder cosmetic containers are flat bottomed plate-typecontainers such as jars, and include containers having a structure inwhich an upper surface of a filled cosmetic is covered with a flatdrop-lid-type inner lid having holes, and containers having a structurein which an elastic net is attached to an aperture portion of thecontainer as the inner lid. It has been general to apply the cosmeticthat has come out on the inner lid through the holes or net to a skin orthe like using a disk-shaped puff.

In such a powder cosmetic container, especially at the beginning of use,the cosmetic gets excessively adhered to an applicator such as a puffand tends to fall or be scattered on the outer surface of the containeror on hands, clothes, etc., to stain the container, hands, clothes, etc.On the other hand, during repeated use, the cosmetic is pressed downthrough the inner lid with the applicator many times, and the cosmeticis gradually caking (solidified), making it difficult for the cosmeticto adhere to the applicator and impossible to use until the end, ormaking it difficult to obtain a light touch feeling of use expected forpowder cosmetics. A new powder cosmetic container free from suchdrawbacks has been desired.

Therefore, the applicant of the present application conducted variousstudies on improvement of the powder cosmetic container, and developed apowder cosmetic container in which a cylindrical body is installed in acontainer body, the cylindrical body is provided with a cosmetic throughhole through which the powder cosmetic can pass, and an applicator canbe stored in the cylindrical body (PTL 1).

Such a cosmetic container has an excellent effect in that, since thepowder cosmetic in the container body is taken into the cylindrical bodythrough the cosmetic through hole as needed and adheres to theapplicator, the powder cosmetic can be applied by a light touch untilthe end without caking. However, the cosmetic container still has thefollowing problem.

That is, in the cosmetic container, the cosmetic through hole of thecylindrical body attached to the container body is always open, andthere is a possibility that the powder cosmetic in the container bodymay enter the cylindrical body even not in use.

For this reason, the cosmetic which entered the cylindrical body at thetime when it was not in use adheres to the applicator. As a result,there are cases where the cosmetic more than necessary adheres to theapplicator when in use, and it is difficult to control the cosmeticapplication amount.

In addition, powder cosmetics are often used for finishing afterapplying a liquid foundation, etc., and cosmetics on the face may betransferred to the applicator during use. When the applicator is storedin the cylindrical body as it is, the cosmetics adhering to theapplicator are transferred to a mesh attached to the through hole andadhere to the mesh, which may cause clogging. As a result, the cosmeticis hindered from passing through and cannot be taken into thecylindrical body, which makes it impossible to use until the end, ormaking it difficult to obtain a light touch feeling of use expected forpowder cosmetics.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

PTL 1: JP-A-11-290119

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to overcome suchdrawbacks of the conventional powder cosmetic container and to provide acosmetic container which allows applying a powder cosmetic with a lighttouch to the last remnant, prevents the cosmetic from adhering to anapplicator when not in use, is easy to control cosmetic applicationamount, and further allows preventing clogging caused by the cosmeticadhering to a mesh of a cosmetic through hole.

Solution to Problem

The present invention solves the aforementioned problems, and is acosmetic container including a container body having an aperture, aninner container attached to an inner side of the container body suchthat a space in which a cosmetic can be stored is formed between theinner container and the container body, an inner plug attached to aninner side of the inner container to form a dual structure together withthe inner container and to be rotatable within a prescribed rangerelative to the inner container, the inner plug capable of storing anapplicator therein, and a lid body capable of sealing an aperture of theinner plug, wherein cosmetic through holes are respectively provided inportions of main bodies of the inner container and the inner plug, andthe cosmetic through holes are opened and closed by changing of relativepositions of the cosmetic through holes as the inner plug rotates.

Further, the present invention is a cosmetic container where an elasticmesh is attached to the cosmetic through hole of the inner container.

Further, the present invention is a cosmetic container where thecosmetic through holes are formed on a curved surface.

Moreover, the present invention is a cosmetic container where both theinner plug and the lid body have locking projections, the lockingprojections are formed to have heights and shapes such that the lockingprojections are locked to each other when the lid body is opened andclosed and are released from each other when a force equal to or greaterthan a predetermined force is applied during opening and closing.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

In the cosmetic container according to the present invention, thecosmetic through holes are opened and closed by changing of the relativepositions of the cosmetic through holes of the inner container and theinner plug in accordance with a rotation of the inner plug. Thisprevents the cosmetic from entering the inner plug when not in use, andthe cosmetic can be prevented from unintentionally adhering to theapplicator, which makes it easy to control the cosmetic applicationamount when in use.

Further, in the cosmetic container according to the present invention inwhich a mesh is attached to the cosmetic through hole, there is no riskthat the cosmetic adhering to the applicator during use would betransferred to the mesh when being stored, and clogging of the mesh canbe prevented beforehand.

In addition, in the cosmetic container according to the presentinvention in which an elastic mesh is attached to the cosmetic throughhole, as the inner plug rotates, an aperture edge of the cosmeticthrough hole of the inner plug moves to rub the mesh from an inner side,and thus the cosmetic adhering to the mesh can be scraped off andclogging of the mesh can be prevented.

Moreover, in the cosmetic container according to the present inventionin which both the inner plug and the lid body have locking projectionsthat can be locked to each other, the inner plug rotates interlockinglywith opening and closing of the lid body, and thus it is possible toopen and close the cosmetic through hole simply by opening and closingthe lid body. As a result, it is possible to save time and labor forrotating the inner plug.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cosmetic container accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 2(a) is a front view of an inner container of the cosmeticcontainer according to the present invention. FIG. 2(b) is a plan viewof the inner container of the cosmetic container according to thepresent invention. FIG. 2 (c) is a bottom view of the inner container ofthe cosmetic container according to the present invention.

FIG. 3(a) is a front view of an inner plug of the cosmetic containeraccording to the present invention. FIG. 3(b) is a plan view of theinner plug of the cosmetic container according to the present invention.FIG. 3(c) is a bottom view of the inner plug of the cosmetic containeraccording to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cosmetic container according tothe present invention in an assembled state.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a positional relation between aprotruding portion 321 and a cosmetic through hole 24 and a cosmeticthrough hole 35 of the cosmetic container according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 6(a) is a schematic view showing a positional relation between alocking projection 331 and a locking projection 411 of the cosmeticcontainer according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 (b) is aschematic view showing a positional relation between the lockingprojection 331 and the locking projection 411 of the cosmetic containeraccording to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a mechanism which scrapes off acosmetic adhering to a mesh of the inner container by an aperture edgeof the inner plug according to the present invention.

FIG. 8(a) is a front view of a cosmetic container according to adifferent embodiment of the present invention in a state in which aninner container and an inner plug are assembled. FIG. 8 (b) is a bottomview of the cosmetic container according to the different embodiment ofthe present invention in the state in which the inner container and theinner plug are assembled. FIG. 8(c) is a cross-sectional view of thecosmetic container according to the different embodiment of the presentinvention in the state in which the inner container and the inner plugare assembled.

FIG. 9(a) is a front view of a cosmetic container according to adifferent embodiment of the present invention in a state in which aninner container and an inner plug are assembled. FIG. 9 (b) is a bottomview of the cosmetic container according to the different embodiment ofthe present invention in the state in which the inner container and theinner plug are assembled. FIG. 9(c) is a cross-sectional view showing astate in which the cosmetic container according to the embodiment isassembled and an applicator is stored in the cosmetic container.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the cosmetic container of the present invention will bedescribed in detail below with reference to the drawings. The presentinvention is not limited to these embodiments.

The cosmetic container of the present invention includes a containerbody 1 having an aperture 11 at an upper portion of the container body1, an inner container 2 attached to an inner side of the container body1 such that a space in which a cosmetic can be stored is formed betweenthe inner container 2 and the container body 1, an inner plug 3 attachedto an inner side of the inner container 2 to form a dual structuretogether with the inner container 2 and to be rotatable within aprescribed range relative to the inner container 2, the inner plug 3capable of storing an applicator 5 therein, and a lid body 4 capable ofsealing an aperture 31 of the inner plug 3. Each member will bedescribed in detail below.

The container body 1 is formed in a substantially pot shape having theaperture 11 at the upper portion of the container body 1, and includes amain body 12 in which a cosmetic is stored, and a neck portion 13 whichis vertically provided annularly from an upper end of the main body 12.The main body 12 of the present embodiment has a larger diameter on theneck portion 13 side than on a bottom portion side, and further bulgesout to have the largest diameter at an intermediate portion of the mainbody 12. However, the shape is not limited thereto as long as thecontainer body 1 has the annularly shaped neck portion 13 at the upperportion and is capable of storing the cosmetic and the inner container 2therein. For example, the container body 1 may be a cylindrical shape, aspherical shape, a polygonal columnar shape, a truncated cone shape,etc.

A recessed portion 131 is provided recessed in an inner peripheralsurface of the neck portion 13 as a fixing unit of the inner container 2which will be described later. The recessed portion 131 is provided tobe in a substantially rectangular shape from an upper end of the neckportion 13 and thinner than the other portions of the neck portion 13.In the embodiment, four recessed portions 131 are provided at equalintervals in a circumferential direction of the neck portion 13.Although the number of the recessed portion 131 is arbitrary and may beone, it is preferable to provide a plurality of recessed portions 131.

Further, a protruded strip 132 is provided on an outer peripheralsurface of the neck portion 13 as a locking unit of the inner plug 3which will be described later. The protruded strip 132 protrudesannularly in the circumferential direction of the neck portion 13. Theprotruded strip 132 is provided at a position corresponding to a grooveportion 342 of the inner plug 3 when the inner plug 3 is attached to thecontainer body 1, and is formed in a shape that can be inserted into thegroove portion 342.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the inner container 2 has an aperture 21at an upper portion of the inner container 2, and includes a main body22 having a substantially cylindrical body portion and a substantiallyhemispherical bottom portion, and a neck portion 23 which is verticallyprovided annularly from an upper end of the main body 22. Further, aflange portion 233 which horizontally protrudes outward is provided onan upper end of the neck portion 23. The main body 22 is formed in ashape and with a dimension such that, when the main body 22 is attachedto the container body 1, a space in which a cosmetic can be stored isformed between the main body 22 and the main body 12 of the containerbody 1, a main body 32 of the inner plug 3 can be stored therein, andthe inner plug 3 is rotatable in the circumferential direction insidethe main body 22. Specifically, at least the main body 22 forms aperfect circle in its horizontal cross-sectional shape, such as aspherical shape, a cylindrical shape, an inverted conical shape, and aninverted truncated cone shape. In addition, the neck portion 23 isformed such that the neck portion 13 of the container body 1 can befitted therein.

The main body 22 is provided with a cosmetic through hole 24 for takingin the cosmetic in the container body 1 into the inner container 2. Inthe embodiment, one cosmetic through hole 24 is provided as asubstantially circular aperture from one side surface (the front side inFIG. 2) to the bottom portion of the main body 22. Further, a mesh 25may be attached to an edge portion of the cosmetic through hole 24 so asto close the aperture as in the embodiment.

In the embodiment, only one cosmetic through hole 24 is provided.However, the number is not limited thereto and a plurality of cosmeticthrough holes 24 may be provided. As to the position where the cosmeticthrough hole 24 is provided, it is not limited as long as it is aposition where the cosmetic can be taken into the inner container 2 fromthe cosmetic through hole 24. When the main body 22 has a substantiallyspherical shape as in the embodiment, it is preferable to provide thecosmetic through hole 24 from a side surface to the bottom portion. Whenthe main body 22 has a shallow plate shape, it is preferable to providethe cosmetic through hole 24 at the bottom surface. When the main body22 has a conical shape, it is preferable to provide the cosmetic throughhole 24 at the side surface. Further, when the cylindrical bottomsurface is formed in a conical shape, it is preferable to provide thecosmetic through hole 24 at both the side surface and the bottomportion. In particular, it is preferable that the cosmetic through hole24 is formed on a curved surface. For example, when the cosmetic throughhole 24 is formed on a curved surface such as a side surface or a bottomportion of a substantially spherical main body, a side surface of aninverted conical or inverted truncated conical main body, and a sidesurface of a cylindrical main body, it is possible to obtain an effectof scraping the cosmetic adhering to the mesh 25 which will be describedlater and thus is preferable.

The shape and area of the cosmetic through hole 24 are not limited aslong as the shape and area do not hinder the cosmetic from being takeninto the inner container 2. However, as in the embodiment, when anapplication portion 51 of the applicator 5 to be used is a flockedspherical shape or a three-dimensional chip, it is possible to make thecosmetic adhere to the application portion 51 by pressing theapplication portion 51 against the mesh 25 and making the applicationportion 51 protrude from the cosmetic through hole 24 to an inner sideof the container body 1 using the elasticity of the mesh 25. Therefore,it is preferable to form one cosmetic through hole 24 having an aperturediameter and an aperture shape through which the application portion 51can pass. Further, when the application portion 51 is a flat mat orpuff, it is not necessary to pass through the cosmetic through hole 24to protrude to the inner side of the container body 1. Therefore, it ispreferable to provide a plurality of through holes having a diametersmaller than that of the mat or puff.

In the embodiment, the mesh 25 is attached to the cosmetic through hole24. However, the cosmetic through hole 24 itself may be formed in a meshshape. That is, the cosmetic through hole 24 may be formed in a meshshape by being composed of a collection of a plurality of fine holes,and in this case, the diameter of one hole is only necessary to be adiameter that the cosmetic can pass through. As described above, byattaching the mesh 25 to the cosmetic through hole 24, or by forming thecosmetic through hole 24 itself in a mesh shape, the cosmetic can beappropriately adhered to the application portion 51 at the time of use.

It is preferable that the material of the mesh 25 attached to thecosmetic through hole 24 has elasticity. For example, fibers such aspolyester, polyurethane, nylon, rayon, polyolefin, cellulose, and silk,and mixed fibers thereof, or nonwoven fabrics thereof can beexemplified, and among them, mixed fibers of polyester and polyurethaneare preferable.

In addition, a protruding portion 231 is provided protruding on an outerperipheral surface of the neck portion 23 as a fixing unit to the mainbody 1. The protruding portion 231 is provided at a positioncorresponding to the recessed portion 131 of the container body 1 whenthe inner container 2 is attached to the container body 1, and is formedin a substantially rectangular shape that can be inserted into therecessed portion 131. In the embodiment, four protruding portions 231are provided at equal intervals in a circumferential direction of theneck portion 23. Although the number of the protruding portion 231 isarbitrary and may be one, it is preferable to provide a plurality ofprotruding portions 231 as the same number as the recessed portions 131.

Further, a guide groove 232 into which a protruding portion 321 of theinner plug 3 which will be described later can be inserted is formed onan inner peripheral surface of the neck portion 23. The guide groove 232is formed at a predetermined height from the upper end of the neckportion 23 and to be thinner than the other portions of the neck portion23, and is formed within a predetermined range in the circumferentialdirection of the neck portion 23. In the embodiment, the guide groove232 is provided on the substantially right half of the inner peripheralsurface of the neck portion 23. However, the providing position(circumferential direction) is arbitrary, and the providing range(circumferential direction) is desirably to be a range corresponding toa rotation range of the inner plug 3 from opening the cosmetic throughhole 24 of the inner container 2 to closing the cosmetic through hole 24of the inner container 2.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the inner plug 3 has an aperture 31 at anupper portion of the inner plug 3, and includes a main body 32 having asubstantially cylindrical body portion and a substantially hemisphericalbottom portion, a flange 33 which horizontally protrudes outward from anupper end of the main body 32, and a peripheral wall 34 that hangs downfrom an outer peripheral edge of the flange 33. The main body 32 isformed in a shape substantially similar to the shape of the main body 22so as to form a dual structure that does not form a gap more thannecessary between the main body 32 and the main body 22 of the innercontainer 2 when the main body 32 is attached to the inner container 2,and is formed with a play to an extent that the main body 32 isrotatable in the circumferential direction in the attached state. Theshape of the main body 32 is not limited as long as it is substantiallysimilar to the shape of the main body 22 and is rotatable in thecircumferential direction. However, at least the main body 32 forms aperfect circle in its horizontal cross-sectional shape, such as aspherical shape, a cylindrical shape, an inverted conical shape, and aninverted truncated cone shape.

The main body 32 is provided with a cosmetic through hole 35. Thecosmetic through hole 35 is formed at a position corresponding to thecosmetic through hole 24 of the inner container 2 when the inner plug 3is at an open position. In the embodiment, one cosmetic through hole 35is provided as a substantially circular aperture from one side surface(the front side in FIG. 3) to the bottom portion of the main body 32.

In the embodiment, only one cosmetic through hole 35 is provided.However, the number is not limited thereto and a plurality of cosmeticthrough holes 35 may be provided. Further, the number of the cosmeticthrough holes 35 may be more or less than the number of the cosmeticthrough holes 24. However, it is preferable to provide the same numberof the cosmetic through holes 35 as the number of the cosmetic throughholes 24. The cosmetic through hole 35 is preferably provided with anarea and in a shape substantially the same as the area and the shape ofthe cosmetic through hole 24 provided at a corresponding position.However, when a plurality of cosmetic through holes 24 are provided, itis also possible to provide one cosmetic through hole 35 that can coverthe entire area where the plurality of cosmetic through holes 24 areprovided. Conversely, when one cosmetic through hole 24 is provided asin the embodiment, a plurality of cosmetic through holes 35 may beprovided in a region covered by the cosmetic through hole 24. Moreover,as in the embodiment, when the application portion 51 of the applicator5 to be used is a flocked spherical shape or a three-dimensional chip,it is preferable to form one cosmetic through hole 35 having an aperturediameter through which the application portion 51 of the applicator 5can pass. Further, it is preferable that the cosmetic through hole 35 isformed on a curved surface. For example, when the cosmetic through hole35 is formed on a curved surface such as a side surface or a bottomportion of a substantially spherical main body, a side surface of aninverted conical or inverted truncated conical main body, and a sidesurface of a cylindrical main body, it is possible to obtain an effectof scraping the cosmetic adhering to the mesh 25 which will be describedlater and thus is preferable.

A threaded portion 341 to which a threaded portion 421 of the lid body 4which will be described later can be screwed is provided on an outerperipheral surface of the peripheral wall 34, and the annular grooveportion 342 into which the protruded strip 132 provided on the neckportion 13 of the container body 1 is provided recessed in an innerperipheral surface of the peripheral wall 34.

A locking projection 331 which can be locked to a locking projection 411of the lid body 4 which will be described later is provided on an uppersurface of the flange 33 in the inner plug 3 of the embodiment. In theembodiment, two locking projections 331 are provided at oppositepositions of the flange 33 (right and left in FIG. 3(b)). The lockingprojections 331 are formed at a protruding height capable of lockingwith the locking projection 411 of the lid body 4 when the lid body 4 isopened and closed, and are formed in a shape such that the locking isreleased by applying a force equal to or greater than a predeterminedforce during opening and closing. The locking between the lockingprojection 331 and the locking projection 411 is released by applying apressure equal to or more than a predetermined pressure to a sidesurface where the locking projection 331 and the locking projection 411are in contact to make the locking projection 411 get over the lockingprojection 331. Therefore, the side surface of the locking projection331 may be formed in a tapered shape so as to make the lockingprojection 411 easily get over the locking projection 331.

Moreover, an annular O-ring 36 may be attached to the outer peripheralsurface of the main body 32 as in the embodiment. The O-ring is formedwith an elastic member such as rubber, and slides on the innerperipheral surface of the main body 22 to generate an appropriaterotation resistance when the inner plug 3 is rotated in the innercontainer 2.

In addition, the protruding portion 321 which can be inserted into theguide groove 232 of the inner container 2 is provided protruding on theouter peripheral surface near the upper end portion of the main body 32.The protruding portion 321 is formed in a substantially rectangularshape extending downward from the flange 33, and is formed at a heightthat fits in the guide groove 232. Although one protruding portion 321is provided on a rear surface side of the main body 32 in theembodiment, the position is not limited thereto.

The lid body 4 of the present invention is not particularly limited inits shape and attaching and detaching method as long as the lid body 4can seal the aperture 31 of the inner plug 3. As in the embodiment, thelid body 4 may be screwed to the threaded portion 341 of the inner plug3 and a part of the lid body 4 may have a space in which a part of theapplicator 5 can be stored. In the lid body 4 of the embodiment, thethreaded portion 421 is formed on an inner peripheral surface of aperipheral wall 42 hanging down from a peripheral edge of a top wall 41so as to be capable of being screwed to the threaded portion 341 of theinner plug 3, and a shaft portion 52 of the applicator 5 which will bedescribed later can be stored in a cylindrical portion 43 providedstanding upright from the top wall 41.

In the lid body 4 of the embodiment, the locking projection 411 whichcan be locked to the locking projection 331 of the flange 33 of theinner plug 3 is provided on a rear surface of the top wall 41. Thelocking projection 411 is formed at a position where the lockingprojection 411 can be brought into contact with the locking projection331 of the inner plug 3 when the lid body 4 is opened and closed.Moreover, the locking projection 411 is formed to have a height capableof locking with the locking projection 331, and is formed to have aheight and a shape such that the locking is released by applying a forceequal to or greater than a predetermined force during opening andclosing. The locking between the locking projection 331 and the lockingprojection 411 is released by applying a pressure equal to or more thana predetermined pressure to a side surface where the locking projection331 and the locking projection 411 are in contact to make the lockingprojection 411 get over the locking projection 331. Therefore, the sidesurface of the locking projection 411 may be formed in a tapered shapeso as to make the locking projection 411 easily get over the lockingprojection 331.

The applicator 5 used in the cosmetic container of the present inventionis not particularly limited in its type, shape, etc. As shown in FIG. 1,it is possible to use an applicator in which the application portion 51is provided at a tip end of the shaft portion 52, or a puff type havingan application portion only. Moreover, a sewed puff, a napped puff, asponge, a brush, etc. can be used as the application portion 51.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cosmetic container of thepresent invention in an assembled state. As shown in the drawing, theinner container 2 is attached to the inner side of the container body 1.The inner container 2 is inserted from the aperture 11 of the containerbody 1, and the flange portion 233 of the inner container 2 is hooked onthe upper end portion of the neck portion 13 of the container body 1.Moreover, the protruding portion 231 is inserted into the recessedportion 131 of the container body 1. In this way, the inner container 2is attached to the container body 1 in a state in which the rotation ofthe inner container 2 relative to the container body 1 is restricted.

Further, the inner plug 3 is attached to the inner side of the innercontainer 2. The inner plug 3 is inserted from the aperture 21 of theinner container 2, and the flange 33 of the inner plug 3 is placed onthe flange portion 233 of the inner container 2. Moreover, the protrudedstrip 132 of the container body 1 is fitted into the groove portion 342on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 34. In this way,the inner plug 3 is attached to the container body 1 to be rotatablerelative to the container body 1.

Further, the protruding portion 321 of the inner plug 3 is inserted intothe guide groove 232 of the inner container 2, and the inner plug 3 canrotate within a range in which the protruding portion 321 is movableinside the guide groove 232. As described above, the rotatable angle ofthe inner plug 3 is restricted by the movable range of the protrudingportion 321. Therefore, in the embodiment, the rotatable angle of theinner plug 3 is restricted to about 180 degrees clockwise from a statein which the aperture 35 of the inner plug 3 faces the front.

By screwing the threaded portion 421 to the threaded portion 341 of theinner plug 3, the lid body 4 is attached to be freely opened and closedto seal the aperture 31 of the inner plug 3. Although not shown in FIG.4, the applicator 5 is further stored in the inner plug 3. Although theapplicator 5 may be completely stored inside the inner plug 3, it isalso possible to store a part of the applicator 5 in a part of the lidbody 4. Specifically, as in the embodiment, the cylindrical portion 43may be provided on an upper portion of the lid body 4, and the shaftportion 52, which is a part of the applicator 5, may be stored in aspace in the cylindrical portion 43. By storing the shaft portion 52 inthe lid body 4, it is possible to prevent the cosmetic from adhering tothe shaft portion 52.

FIG. 5 schematically shows a relative positional relation between theprotruding portion 321 and the cosmetic through hole 24 and the cosmeticthrough hole 35 in a series of states from an open state of the cosmeticthrough hole 24 to a closed state of the cosmetic through hole 24. Themesh 25 is omitted in the drawing for a better understanding. First, ina state in which the protruding portion 321 of the inner plug 3 ispositioned on the rearmost side of the guide groove 232 (the rearsurface side of the inner container 2), and the inner plug 3 cannot befurther rotated counterclockwise with respect to the inner container 2,the relative positions of the cosmetic through hole 35 of the inner plug3 and the cosmetic through hole 24 of the inner container 2 match (FIG.5a ). In this state, the cosmetic through hole 24 and the cosmeticthrough hole 35 communicate with each other and are in a fully openedstate.

Then, in order to shift from the open state to a closed state, the innerplug 3 is rotated clockwise relative to the inner container 2. FIG. 5bshows a state in the middle of the rotation. In this state, the relativeposition between the cosmetic through hole 24 and the cosmetic throughhole 35 changes, and only a part of the left side of the cosmeticthrough hole 24 communicates and is opened. Then, the inner plug 3 isfurther rotated clockwise relative to the inner container 2, and theprotruding portion 321 is moved to a position where the inner plug 3cannot be further rotated so that the protruding portion 321 ispositioned on the foremost side of the guide groove 232 (the front sideof the inner container 2) (FIG. 5c ). At this time, the cosmetic throughhole 35 of the inner plug 3 is positioned on an opposite side of themain body 22 relative to the cosmetic through hole 24 of the innercontainer 2. Therefore, the cosmetic through hole 24 is closed by themain body 32 of the inner plug 3 and the cosmetic through hole 35 isclosed by the main body 22 of the inner container 2, which makes aclosed state in which the cosmetic cannot pass through.

Further, a mechanism which scrapes off the cosmetic adhering to the mesh25 as the inner plug 3 rotates will be described with reference to FIG.7. When the cosmetic through holes 24 and 35 are formed on a curvedsurface as in the embodiment, an aperture edge 351 of the cosmeticthrough hole 35 moves along a trajectory X which has the same curvatureas the curved surface of the main body 32 as the inner plug 3 rotates ina closing direction. On the other hand, the mesh 25, particularly in acase of a material having elasticity, which is attached to the cosmeticthrough hole 24, is held at a position where the mesh 25 enters innerthan the trajectory X of the aperture edge 351 due to the tension of themesh 25. As a result, the aperture edge 351 moving along the trajectoryX moves to rub the mesh 25 from the inner side as the inner plug 3rotates in the closing direction, and thus it is possible to obtain aneffect of scraping off the cosmetic adhering to the mesh 25.

In addition, a mechanism in which the inner plug 3 rotatesinterlockingly with the opening and closing of the lid body 4 is asfollows. First, the lid body 4 is screwed clockwise to the threadedportion 341 of the inner plug 3 and closed. When the screwing is almostcompleted, the rear surface of the top wall 41 of the lid body 4approaches the flange 33 of the inner plug 3. As a result, the lockingprojection 411 of the rear surface of the top wall 41 comes into contactwith one of the two locking projections 331 of the inner plug 3. In thiscase, since the locking projection 411 comes into contact with thelocking projection 331 from a traveling direction side, when the lidbody 4 is further turned in that state, the locking projection 411pushes the locking projection 331 in the rotation direction of the lidbody 4 and the inner plug 3 also rotates in the same direction. Thepositional relation between the locking projection 411 and the lockingprojection 331 at this time is indicated by a solid line in FIG. 6(a).

As described above, since the rotation range of the inner plug 3 islimited to the movement range of the protruding portion 321 due to therestriction of the guide groove 232, when the protruding portion 321reaches an end of the guide groove 232, the inner plug 3 stops withoutfurther rotating. In this state, when a rotational force is furtherapplied to the lid body 4 in the clockwise direction, the contactsurfaces of the locking projection 411 and the locking projection 341are pressed, and the locking of the locking projection 411 and thelocking projection 341 is released. The locking projection 411 gets overthe locking projection 331 and moves to the opposite side. Thepositional relation between the locking projection 411 and the lockingprojection 341 at this time is indicated by a broken line in FIG. 6(a).As a result, even if the lid body 4 is further rotated clockwise, theinner plug 3 does not rotate interlockingly and the attachment of thelid body 4 is completed.

Conversely, when the lid body 4 is turned counterclockwise to thethreaded portion 352 of the inner plug 3 and opened, as described above,the locking projection 411 which has moved over the locking projection331 and moved to the opposite side as the lid body 4 was closed nowcomes into contact with the locking projection 331 from thecounterclockwise traveling direction side. In this way, when the lidbody 4 is turned, the locking projection 411 pushes the lockingprojection 331 in the rotation direction of the lid body 4, and theinner plug 3 also rotates. The positional relation between the lockingprojection 411 and the locking projection 331 at this time is indicatedby a solid line in FIG. 6(b).

Even in the case where the inner plug 3 rotates counterclockwise, therotation range of the inner plug 3 is limited to the movement range ofthe protruding portion 321 due to the restriction of the guide groove232. Therefore, when the protruding portion 321 moves to an end of theguide groove 232, the inner plug 3 stops without further rotating. Inthis state, when a rotational force is further applied to the lid body 4in the counterclockwise direction, the contact surfaces of the lockingprojection 411 and the locking projection 341 are pressed, and thelocking of the locking projection 411 and the locking projection 341 isreleased. The locking projection 411 gets over the locking projection341 and moves to the opposite side. The positional relation between thelocking projection 411 and the locking projection 331 at this time isindicated by a broken line in FIG. 6(b). As a result, even if the lidbody 4 is further turned counterclockwise, the inner plug 3 does notrotate interlockingly and only the lid body 4 rotates counterclockwise,thereby completing removal of the lid body 4.

In the embodiment, the inner plug 3 rotates interlockingly as the lidbody 4 rotates. However, the lid body 4 and the inner plug 3 do notnecessarily have to be interlocked, and the inner plug 3 may rotateindependently despite of the opening and closing of the lid body 4. Inthat case, the lid body 4 may be first removed, and the inner plug 3 maybe rotated by holding a part of the inner plug 3, for example, theperipheral wall 35, with fingers while holding the container body 1 withone hand.

A method for using the cosmetic container of the present invention willbe described below. First, the lid body 4 is rotated counterclockwise torelease the screw engagement with the threaded portion 341 of the innerplug 3. In this case, the locking projection 411 pushes the lockingprojection 331 in the same direction as the rotation of the lid body 4,and thus the inner plug 3 also rotates counterclockwise within anallowable range restricted by the guide groove 232. Then, when theprotruding portion 321 moves to an end of the guide groove 232, theinner plug 3 stops without further rotating.

Now, the protruding portion 321 is positioned at the rearmost side ofthe guide groove 232 (the rear surface side of the inner container 2).Therefore, the relative positions of the cosmetic through hole 35 of theinner plug 3 and the cosmetic through hole 24 of the inner container 2match, the cosmetic through hole 35 of the inner plug 3 and the cosmeticthrough hole 24 of the inner container 2 communicate with each other andare in a fully opened state (FIG. 5a ). On the other hand, since thelocking of the locking projection 411 is released, the lid body 4further rotates counterclockwise and is removed from the inner plug 3.

After the lid body 4 is removed, the applicator 5 stored inside is takenout to perform make-up. Since the cosmetic through hole 24 and thecosmetic through hole 35 are in a fully opened state, the cosmetic istaken into the inner plug 3 through the through holes and adheres to theapplication portion 51 of the applicator 5. In a case where it isdesired to further make the cosmetic adhere to the application portion51, by pushing the application portion 51 into the apertures of thecosmetic through hole 24 and the cosmetic through hole 35, the mesh 25is expanded, and a part of the application portion 51 is pushed out fromthe cosmetic through hole 24 into the interior of the container body 1,which makes the cosmetic more easily adhered.

The cosmetic through hole 24 and the cosmetic through hole 35 of theembodiment are provided on one side surface of the inner container 2 andthe inner plug 3, and thus the position of adhesion to the applicationportion 51 can be made constant. When it is desired to make the cosmeticadhere uniformly to the entire application portion 51, the cosmetic canbe made to adhere evenly by rotating the shaft portion 52 and rotatingthe application portion 51 inside the inner plug 3.

After the make-up is completed, the applicator 5 is stored inside theinner plug 3, and the lid body 4 is screwed clockwise to the threadedportion 341 of the inner plug 3. Then, as the screwing of the lid body 4approaches completion, the locking projection 411 is locked by thelocking projection 331 and pushes in the same direction as the rotationof the lid body 4. Therefore, the inner plug 3 also rotates clockwisewithin the allowable range restricted by the guide groove 232.

As the protruding portion 321 moves within the guide groove 232, therelative positions of the cosmetic through hole 35 of the inner plug 3and the cosmetic through hole 24 of the inner container 2 begin to shift(FIG. 5b ). In this case, since the aperture edge 351 of the cosmeticthrough hole 35 of the inner plug 3 moves to rub the mesh 25 of theinner container 2 from the inner side, it is possible to obtain aneffect of scraping off the cosmetic adhering to the mesh 25 as the innercontainer 3 rotates in the closing direction.

When the protruding portion 321 moves to an end of the guide groove 232,the inner plug 3 stops without further rotating. The protruding portion321 is positioned on the foremost side of the guide groove 232 (thefront side of the inner container 2), the cosmetic through hole 24 isclosed by the main body 32 of the inner plug 3 and the cosmetic throughhole 35 is closed by the main body 22 of the inner container 2. Thismakes a closed state in which the cosmetic cannot pass through (FIG. 5c), and the attachment of the lid body 4 is also completed.

FIGS. 8(a) to 8(c) and FIGS. 9(a) to 9(c) show different embodiments ofthe cosmetic container of the present invention. In the embodiment shownin FIG. 8, the main body 22 of the inner container 2 and the main body32 of the inner plug 3 are both formed in an inverted conical shape. Thecosmetic through holes 24 and 35 are provided on side surfaces of themain bodies 22 and 32, respectively. In FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), thedescription of the mesh 25 is omitted for a better understanding of theconfiguration.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the main body 22 of the innercontainer 2 and the main body 32 of the inner plug 3 are both formed inan inverted truncated cone shape. A pair of cosmetic through holes 24and 35 are respectively provided on one side surface of the main bodies22 and 32 and a side surface opposite to the aforementioned side surfaceto the bottom surfaces. Further, in the present embodiment, a corematerial 26 which protrudes in an arc shape in the cosmetic through hole24 is provided. The core material 26 forms a contour of a perfect circlein a bottom view together with a bottom surface 27 of the innercontainer 2. Therefore, by attaching the mesh 25 to the cosmetic throughhole 24 so as to cover the core material 26, the main body 22 and themesh 25 can maintain the shape of an inverted truncated cone. In FIGS.9(a) and 9(b), the description of the mesh 25 is omitted for a betterunderstanding of the configuration.

Moreover, FIG. 9(c) shows a state in which the applicator 5 of a brushtype is stored in the inner plug 3. In the embodiment, since theapplicator 5 is completely stored in the inner plug 3, the lid body 4can be of a type that seals a general aperture.

As to the material used for the container body 1, the inner container 2,and the inner plug 3 of the present invention, polyethylenetelephthalate, acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer, polypropylene,polyethylene, and the like are preferable for the container body, andpolypropylene and polyethylene are preferable for the inner containerand the inner plug. Among them, the container body is preferablypolyethylene telephthalate, and the inner container and the inner plugare preferably polypropylene. In particular, it is preferable that thecontainer body 1 is transparent or translucent so that the cosmeticstored inside the container body 1 can be visually recognized from theoutside.

The cosmetic stored in the cosmetic container of the present inventionmaybe skin care cosmetics such as cream, emulsion, beauty essence, eyecream, lip cream, and remover, hair cosmetics such as treatment, hairstyling agent, hair dye, and hair cream, and make-up cosmetics such aswhite powder, foundation, base cream, concealer, cheek rouge, eye color,lip gloss, lip color, lip overcoat, topcoat, mascara, eyebrow, andeyeliner. In addition, as the form of the cosmetic, a viscous liquidcosmetic, a powder solid cosmetic, an oily solid cosmetic, a powderycosmetic, and the like can be exemplified, and the cosmetic maybe anemulsifying type or a non-emulsifying type. Among them, the powderycosmetic is particularly preferable.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

1: container body

2: inner container

3: inner plug

4: lid body

5: applicator

11: aperture

12: main body

13: neck portion

21: aperture

22: main body

23: neck portion

24: cosmetic through hole

25: mesh

26: core material

27: bottom surface

31: aperture

32: main body

33: flange

34: peripheral wall

35: cosmetic through hole

41: top wall

42: peripheral wall

43: cylindrical portion

51: application portion

52: shaft portion

131: recessed portion

132: protruded strip

231: protruding portion

232: guide groove

233: flange portion

321: protruding portion

331: locking projection

341: threaded portion

342: groove portion

351: aperture edge

411: locking projection

421: threaded portion

X: aperture edge trajectory

1. A cosmetic container comprising a container body having an aperture,an inner container attached to an inner side of the container body suchthat a space in which a cosmetic can be stored is formed between theinner container and the container body, an inner plug attached to aninner side of the inner container to form a dual structure together withthe inner container and to be rotatable within a prescribed rangerelative to the inner container, the inner plug capable of storing anapplicator therein, and a lid body capable of sealing an aperture of theinner plug, wherein cosmetic through holes are respectively provided inportions of main bodies of the inner container and the inner plug, andthe cosmetic through hole is opened and closed by changing of relativepositions of the cosmetic through holes as the inner plug rotates. 2.The cosmetic container according to claim 1, wherein an elastic mesh isattached to the cosmetic through hole of the inner container.
 3. Thecosmetic container according to claim 1, wherein the cosmetic throughholes are formed on a curved surface.
 4. The cosmetic containeraccording to claim 1, wherein a guide groove is provided on an innerperipheral surface of the inner container, a protruding portion whichcan be inserted into the guide groove is provided on an outer peripheralsurface of the main body of the inner plug, the protruding portion isformed to be movable within a range of the guide groove, and a rotationangle of the inner plug is restricted by the movable range of theprotruding portion.
 5. The cosmetic container according to claim 1,wherein the inner plug has a locking projection on an upper surface of aflange projecting outward from an upper end of the main body of theinner plug, the lid body has a locking projection which can be locked tothe locking projection on a rear surface of a top wall of the lid body,the locking projections are formed to have heights and shapes such thatthe locking projections are locked to each other when the lid body isopened and closed and are released from each other when a force equal toor greater than a predetermined force is applied during opening andclosing.
 6. The cosmetic container according claim 1, wherein theapplicator includes a shaft portion and an application portion providedat one end of the shaft portion, and the inner plug is formed to becapable of storing the application portion therein.
 7. The cosmeticcontainer according to claim 1, wherein the lid body has a threadedportion which can be screwed to a threaded portion provided on an outerperipheral surface of a peripheral wall that hangs down from an outerperipheral edge of the flange of the inner plug, a cylindrical portionis provided standing upright from a top surface of the lid body, and theshaft portion of the applicator can be stored in the cylindricalportion.
 8. The cosmetic container according to claim 4, wherein theinner plug has a locking projection on an upper surface of a flangeprojecting outward from an upper end of the main body of the inner plug,the lid body has a locking projection which can be locked to the lockingprojection on a rear surface of a top wall of the lid body, the lockingprojections are formed to have heights and shapes such that the lockingprojections are locked to each other when the lid body is opened andclosed and are released from each other when a force equal to or greaterthan a predetermined force is applied during opening and closing.
 9. Thecosmetic container according claim 4, wherein the applicator includes ashaft portion and an application portion provided at one end of theshaft portion, and the inner plug is formed to be capable of storing theapplication portion therein.
 10. The cosmetic container according claim5, wherein the applicator includes a shaft portion and an applicationportion provided at one end of the shaft portion, and the inner plug isformed to be capable of storing the application portion therein.
 11. Thecosmetic container according to claim 4, wherein the lid body has athreaded portion which can be screwed to a threaded portion provided onan outer peripheral surface of a peripheral wall that hangs down from anouter peripheral edge of the flange of the inner plug, a cylindricalportion is provided standing upright from a top surface of the lid body,and the shaft portion of the applicator can be stored in the cylindricalportion.
 12. The cosmetic container according to claim 5, wherein thelid body has a threaded portion which can be screwed to a threadedportion provided on an outer peripheral surface of a peripheral wallthat hangs down from an outer peripheral edge of the flange of the innerplug, a cylindrical portion is provided standing upright from a topsurface of the lid body, and the shaft portion of the applicator can bestored in the cylindrical portion.
 13. The cosmetic container accordingto claim 6, wherein the lid body has a threaded portion which can bescrewed to a threaded portion provided on an outer peripheral surface ofa peripheral wall that hangs down from an outer peripheral edge of theflange of the inner plug, a cylindrical portion is provided standingupright from a top surface of the lid body, and the shaft portion of theapplicator can be stored in the cylindrical portion.